December 12, 2013

Today, I just want to share this beautiful story with you. A man, who absolutely adores & loves his wife has supported her during her battles with cancer through his incredibly creative photography.

Check out the story:

I'm so in awe at how selfless this husband has been for his wife. Its so wonderful & inspiring to see this type of love in action. You can find learn more about Bob & Linda & even buy a calendar of all his photos at The Tutu Project.

Well if you couldn't tell from my last post, I love Christmas. I love the weather, the excitement in the air, all the fun tacky-sweater parties, being able to get bundled up in warm boots & cozy scarves, and everything else that comes with this time of year. Every year this season flies by so this year I'm going to take special care to enjoy every moment because this year's holiday season will never happen again!

PS. Doesn't that sangria recipe look AMAZING?! I haven't tried it out, but you better believe its on my to-do list this week!

December 9, 2013

Hello, there. I hope you had a good weekend! I spent the weekend running a few errands & getting our Christmas decorations up. Today, I'm participating in my first link-up through The Nectar Collective, called weekly wishes. Every week, tons of people blog about their week's goals & link up with others to encourage & be encouraged.

This week's goals:

Take some pictures. I've been slacking in the photo department, mostly because I lost my camera battery charger, but I bought a new one so I have no reason not to get out there and use my camera!

Paint. Well after a month of waiting, I finally have my birthday presents. My mom got me some new brushes, paper, paint & a new watercolor notebook & Emil got me a couple awesome watercolor books so I have all the resources I could need to sit down & work on my paintings.

Send out Christmas cards. The tree is up & so are the decorations. Its time to send out a few Christmas cards & get in touch with some family in the states.

Use my new Crock-Pot. I bought a new baby Crock-Pot, perfect for a dip or a meal for two. I have a few recipes & even went out for all the groceries I'll need to make them. Now I just have to actually make it happen! If all goes well, I might even share a recipe with y'all!

This week's theme is color & since this weekend revolved around Christmas & Christmas decorations, I decided to use a picture of our tree! If you're a goal setter or want to be, feel free to participate! Get the low down & link up at The Nectar Collective!

December 5, 2013

Happy Thursday! For all of you still in school, I know things are a little hectic right now but I hope the studying is going well & you're enjoying the last few days of the semester. For everyone else out there, I hope this Thursday finds you in high spirits & loving life.

Since Thanksgiving, I've had a few things on my mind & have been trying to make sure that I'm living each day as positively as possibly & with a grateful heart. Life is officially back in full swing & things are probably getting a little crazy wherever you are, whether its because of finals or the holiday buzz that tends to stress people out. I just wanted to encourage myself as well as any readers out there to continue living with a thankful heart. Its so easy to be thankful on a day dedicated just to that, but what about a week later, or a few weeks later when we're ripping open gifts under the Christmas tree? I urge you to continue being thankful and appreciative of all that you have, and more importantly sharing your gratitude with the people you care about.

Here are a few ideas to share your gratitude with the people who love you and/or the people you don't know but come in contact with:

To people you know & care about:

Ask them how they are & when they say "fine, thanks", ask again.

Encourage them in something you know they've been wanting to do for a while & even offer to do it with them.

Offer to do something they don't like to do.

Run their errands along with yours when you go out.

Grab them lunch or bring them a coffee when they need it & don't have time.

Mail or pass along a hand written note of appreciation or encouragement.

Cook them a meal or have them over for a wine night just to spend some quality time together.

Create a playlist or CD for them to enjoy.

If they're far away, set aside a time to talk on the phone or skype.

Make a handmade gift for them.

Buy them a small gift (under $5) and explain that you thought of them when you saw it.

Ask about whatever they're going through & offer to help.

Order their favorite flowers.

Think about the ways that they challenge you to be a better person & thank them for it.

To those you run into in your daily life:

Tip extra or leave an encouraging note in the tip jar.

Compliment their abilities or anything about them.

Give them a positive review online if possible or tell their boss that they're doing a great job.

Start a conversation with them or ask how they're doing.

Make eye contact & smile.

There are tons of ways to show people around you that you care about them & want to encourage them. These are just a few! Remember that its important to take the time to get to know the people that you care about so that you can encourage them in ways that will make them feel loved and appreciated rather than doing whats easiest or most comfortable for you.

How will you encourage the people in your life this week? How will
you show the people around you that you're thankful for them?

December 4, 2013

After
two weeks in Egypt I was seriously craving some good home-cooked meals and
coming home to some FREEZING weather made a big pot of chili an obvious
choice. This is my favorite chili recipe & I wanted to share it with y'all since its getting colder in most parts of the world & this recipe will warm your soul.

Here's what you will need:

2
pounds ground beef

1
pounds ground pork*

5
cloves garlic, minced

3
(15 oz) cans diced tomatoes

1
(15 oz) can tomato sauce**

1
can of beer

4 beef bullion cubes

3-5
tablespoons chili powder***

2
tablespoons ground cumin

1
tablespoon dried oregano

1
tablespoon paprika

1
tablespoon brown sugar

1
teaspoon black pepper

2
bay leaves

2
(15 ounce) cans pinto beans

*Can
be substituted with beef chuck or 3 pounds of ground beef

**Can
be substituted with the tomato paste equivalent mixed with water

December 3, 2013

I'm pretty excited about a few posts I have coming your way in the next few days (think yummy food!) but today I wanted to share some exciting news: I finally made a photography website. I've been wanting to make one for a while & have been steadily building my portfolio but I didn't feel "ready". Well, I finally decided to quit telling myself I wasn't ready enough & went for it. Its currently pretty basic but I'm excited to expand it as I figure a few things out but feel free to check it out & let me know what you think!

Is there anything you've been wanting to do for some time now but haven't? Stop telling yourself you can't and let yourself be successful in whatever it is you are wanting to achieve! You're awesome, just remember that & don't let a little bit of insecurity or self-doubt get in your way.

December 2, 2013

I hope y'all had a good holiday weekend spent doing something that brought you joy. Now its back to the grind, whether its work or school, but I hope you are able to find comfort in this beautiful season & are able to remain grateful during a time when so many are overcome with desire. Happy Monday!

Emil & I have been talking about taking a day trip to Malmo, Sweden for a long time now & we finally made it happen. On Thanksgiving Day we took a train across the water from Copenhagen to Sweden. Although it was cold & windy, the sun was shining brightly & we enjoyed our afternoon in the city

We wandered the streets, window
shopped & saw a couple sights before we decided we needed to stop
for a cup of something warm (I'm a chai latte kind of girl). I even
found an "American Store" that carries all sorts of food & goods
straight from the U.S. that are incredibly hard to find anywhere in
Scandinavia (shout-out to any Cholula hot sauce lovers!) I wrote a
couple postcards & we bundled up & headed to see the gorgeous
St. Petri Cathedral.

Since
its been getting dark pretty early around here, we made sure to check
out the castle before the sun began to set. On our way we saw the Castle
Park & the famous turning torso (a famous skyscraper). We wandered
throughout the castle & learned a little history along the way &
afterward, we headed to a late lunch. Full & happy, we mailed my
postcards & caught a train back to Copenhagen.

Ive
never been to Sweden before but I had a lot of fun seeing a new city
& country & hearing a little bit of Swedish. I definitely
recommend this day trip from Copenhagen if you're visiting for a few
days!

Hi! I'm Samantha! Originally this blog was made to document my travels during my time abroad. I'm back in AZ now and traveling is on hold but since I paid for this little slice of the internet & need an outlet to share our journey & fight against cancer, I decided this would be a good/safe place to do so. read more.